Regulation
Foreign PE in Taiwan: Engagement issues
Taiwan has a lot to offer private equity: it is one of relatively few classic buyout markets in Asia, with control positions, the ability to put in new management, and banks that are willing leveraged lenders. Japan and Australia are the only markets...
NDRC stops registering domestic private equity funds
The National Development and Regulatory Commission (NDRC) is said to have stopped registering for domestic private equity funds, having lost out to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) in the battle to become the asset class' preeminent regulator.
Founder of VC-backed ShopClues faces US charges
Sandeep Aggarwal, founder of VC-backed Indian e-commerce site ShopClues, has been arrested in the US in connection with the SAC Capital Advisors insider trading investigation. He is charged with passing confidential information to a trader concerning...
India relaxes FDI rules in telecoms, 12 other sectors
India has relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) rules in sectors such as telecoms, single brand retail and oil and gas.
Markit launches private equity valuations service
Financial information services company Markit has launched a service for investors to value their assets held by private equity funds. It comes in anticipation of Europe’s Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), which requires alternative...
SEC removes PE general solicitation ban
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted to remove the longstanding ban on general solicitation by private-issuers, opening a path for private equity firms to speak publicly about their fundraising efforts and engage more freely with...
Indonesia mining: Swimming with sharks
Indonesia is resource rich and its mining sector is coveted by many foreign investors. But regulatory and legal uncertainty, plus concerns about local partners, is compelling them to sit on the sidelines
Korea to grant start-up visas to foreigners
South Korea is to grant start-up visas to foreign entrepreneurs in a bid to facilitate inbound investment.
CSRC to regulate Chinese PE, NDRC to promote it – State Council
China’s State Council appears to have resolved the regulatory spat over domestic private equity, designating the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) as the single agency responsible for the asset class. The National Development and Reform...
Friend or foe? Chinese M&A in the US
Chinese companies are keen to acquire assets overseas and the US is a popular target. Success hinges on satisfying regulators, appeasing politicians and persuading sellers of their ability to execute transactions
Indian regulator opens up new channel for SME exits
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will allow start-ups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to list without an IPO in a move to facilitate exits. The regulator has also brought angel funds under the alternative investments funds...
Clifford Chance appoints Latham partner to head Singapore funds team
Clifford Chance has hired Latham & Watkins partner Kai Schneider to lead its funds team in Singapore. He replaces Han Ming Ho, who is leaving for Sidley Austin.
No timetable for re-opening China IPOs – regulator
The China Securities Regulatory Council (CSRC) said it doesn’t have a timetable for resuming IPOs, in response to media reports on last Tuesday that new shares could be listed in July.
PE investor fails to oust Intrepid board over Indonesia mining dispute
Hong Kong-based PE firm Quantum Pacific Investment has failed in its attempt to remove the directors at Australia's Intrepid Mines after the company lost control of a key Indonesia mining asset.
India should simplify foreign investment rules, open more sectors to VC - committee
India should encourage investment by foreign portfolio investors by scaling back the regulatory apparatus used to register and monitor inbound capital flows, according to a high-level committee. It also recommended expanding the number of sector open...
PE investors move to liquidate Ambow, call for CEO to resign
New York-listed Chinese tutoring and training services provider Ambow Education Holding could face a winding up order after a court appointed liquidators to assume control of the company. Avenue Capital, Ambow’s largest institutional shareholder, instigated...
Taiwan scores poorly on attracting PE – white paper
Taiwan’s government promised to revise rules on foreign investment and facilitate the inflow of private equity capital after a report issued by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) delivered a stinging criticism of the domestic investment...
Regulator blocks Anacacia exit of Rafferty’s to Heinz
Anacacia Capital’s sale of baby-food producer Rafferty’s Garden to H.J. Heinz has been blocked by the Australian Competition and Consumer Association (ACCC). The regulator decided that the transaction would give Heinz an unfairly dominant market position.
China’s trust companies set to enter PE space
New regulation concerning the expansion of China trusts' investment scope to include private equity is expected to be announced soon. China Industrial International Trust (CIIT) is set to be among the first batch of companies to take advantage of the...
AIFMD: Brussels flexes it muscles
Europe’s Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), which comes into effect in July, will change the way private equity funds are marketed to EU investors. What does it means for Asian GPs?
DBS wins approval to buy Indonesia bank stake from Temasek
DBS Group Holdings has won approval to buy a 40% stake in Indonesian mid-sized lender Bank Danamon for $2.75 billion from Singapore state investor Temasek. It will be the biggest acquisition in the country's history.
Chinese PE regulation: Tug-of-war
The National Development and Reform Commission and China Securities Regulatory Commission have yet to resolve their dispute over private equity oversight. Uncertainty isn't helpful to industry participants
NDRC private equity executive moves to CSRC
Liu Jianjun, a senor official at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) who oversaw the private equity division, has been handed a leading role within the China Securities Regulatory Commission's (CSRC) fund department. The move comes amid...
StarRock to be first China PE firm to enter mutual fund space
China’s sunshine fund StarRock Investment has recently established a mutual fund department, making it the first domestic private equity manager to officially operate in the public fund space.